Dark Lovers
by Victoria Sempress
Summary: Viktor had survived his brush with death again - only this time he came back a little 'altered'. Elisabeth Howard was a young feisty woman. What would happen when they met? Would it be ice? Or fire? Time changes everyone. Rated M for later Chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Viktor had spent so much time alone since his fight with Selene. His body had healed very well and he was amused at the differences dying twice could make to you!**

**Chapter One – The Meeting**

Beth sighed as the car ground to a halt, the engine spluttered to a stop and the lights went out. It was at times like this that she wondered why she had been born with an impetuous streak. She blamed her mother. She was just the same. It was four years since she had passed away and sometimes Beth still really missed her.

She pulled the keys out of the car and refused to be morose. At this moment in time, she had better things to concentrate on. She yanked the car door open and climbed out, furious at herself for getting into this predicament.

'Why didn't I just stay in the nice sunny bits or Europe?' she asked herself aloud as she stood in the middle of the road looking hopefully both ways to see if there was anyone about.

'I could have been sitting in a nice pleasant bar with a martini waiting for the man of my dreams, but no, here I am in the middle of nowhere with a crap car and no bugger about!' she muttered as she aimlessly wandered away from the car.

She stopped suddenly and the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up sending shivers down her spine. She hastily ran back to the car, slipping on the road and catching her hand on a sharp bit of stone. She let out a loud yelp as she scrambled up, opening the car door throwing herself back into the front seat. She could feel her heart beating inside her chest and she had an uncontrollable urge to cry, which quite surprised her – she never cried these days – never – not for anything.

She found some tissues to press against the bleeding on the palm of her hand and tried to calm herself down. She had just about managed to steady her breathing when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye and the panic started all over again.

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His horse came to a sudden halt almost throwing him over her head. 'You foolish beast!' he muttered. Marta was a strong and powerful horse and it pleased him sit astride such a powerful animal, but it annoyed him that she was a touch flighty at times. He had considered getting rid of her many a time, but he knew that he never would. He had a bond with her. Whether she was an animal or not, special bonds were to be cherished.

The evening was cold but there was only a gentle breeze and on this breeze he could smell the sweet taste of blood. New blood. Not a half hour old, not even ten minutes old, but blood fresh from a wound. It made the blood in _his _veinspulse around his body and his eyes widen. He could also feel intense fear. Not his. He very seldom felt fearful. The fear he felt was strong and new.

He regained control of Marta and headed off in the direction of the fear. He said to himself that he was chasing the fear, but the truth was that he was drawn to that beautiful taste of newly spilled blood. As he drew his tongue over his teeth, he could feel them sharpen.

And then he heard the sound that he knew was the root of the fear he could feel.

A long piercing howl. Lycans. He knew at that moment that they had found a new prey.

**********************************************************************

Beth also heard the howl and she was trying to calm her fear. What the hell was she doing on a dark country road on her own with a car that didn't work with a pack of wolves wandering around the woods? At least she was in a car and a dog wouldn't be able to open the car doors! She locked them anyway. Just in case. Just her luck to meet a wolf like Lassie that open doors!

Another howl made her halt her frivolous thoughts. She was sure they were getting closer. Again she was sure she could see movement out of the corner of her eye, but every time she turned her head, there was nothing there. She wasn't impressed.

'Idiot!' she said aloud, 'You are being an idiot Elisabeth Howard. Pull yourself together and get the tyre iron out of the boot!' She unlocked the door with new found courage and hastily opened the boot and got out the tyre iron.

Just as she closed the boot – she heard a noise in the trees just ahead of her. She dropped the iron and as she bent to pick it up, she looked into the trees and found a pair of eyes looking directly at her. They didn't look human and the last time she saw a wolf, they didn't look like these eyes either.

Just as she was about to scream, a flash of light appeared over her head and disappeared into the trees quickly followed by a flash of black. All she could hear was a yelping sound.

She was paralysed with fear and rooted to the spot. She was still bent down with her hands touching the ground. She wanted to run, but found that she was incapable of moving at all. It was only that fact that her hands were touching the ground that stopped her from falling over.

Suddenly she heard a sound coming out of the trees and a large black figure walked towards her. Beth realised that the 'flash' was the biggest sword she had ever seen in her life. The owner of the sword took a cloth from his pocket and wiped the blade and sheathed the sword back into its proper place at his hip.

Beth reckoned that he must be over 6 foot tall. He wasn't in his first flush of youth, but she could tell by the way he walked that he was obviously in good shape. The moon took that moment to reappear from the clouds and she could see that he had blonde hair and blue eyes. Not just blue eyes, but the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Icy blue eyes. The kind of piercing eyes like that scary teacher had when you were a child that made you sure she could read your mind. He was dressed from head to foot in black with an ankle length black leather coat.

'Are you alright?' he barked. He was annoyed and he wasn't even sure why.

She nodded not quite able to form the words she wanted. He put his hand under her arm and pulled her to her feet. He was much stronger than she had imagined.

He looked irritated and hissed 'What the hell are you doing out here alone? Do you have any idea how much trouble you would have been in if I hadn't been here? Well? Speak!'

'I….well…holiday….adventure……car just stopped….' Beth was babbling and she knew it. She suddenly saw frustration in his eyes and she immediately became annoyed.

'Look mate, whoever you are, with your fancy long coat and your big flash sword and I'm not even going to ask you what that's compensating for! Thank you for scaring away the dog, but don't you dare shout at me! How bloody dare you!' Beth could hear the volume of her voice rising and she found herself stood right in front of this stranger and poking him in the chest as she spoke to emphasise her point.

He immediately caught her hand in a grip like steel and then just stopped.

She realised that he wasn't looking at her face any longer, instead, he was looking at her hand. His eyes were wider and she was sure they were brighter and she saw him part his lips ever so slightly.

He seemed to look at her hand for an age. And then he spoke.

'You're bleeding.'

She moved to put the tissues back on the wound and he caught her wrist. Slowly he pulled her bleeding hand to his mouth. She was too transfixed to protest. She felt his mouth cover the wound on the palm of her hand she could feel his tongue touch the very centre of her hand.

She was shocked. Shocked because a perfect stranger was licking the palm of her hand. She was more shocked by the feeling it was evoking in her body.

The last thing she remembered was feeling his tongue moving across the palm of her hand…and then she passed out.

Viktor knew her now. He could feel her memories and her lifeblood coursing through his body. He knew everything. The fear of her first day at school. The first boy she kissed. The first time she fell in love. He knew about her mother. He knew her father had left when she was a child. He knew how much she adored being kissed on her neck. He knew where to touch her body to make her eyes black with desire and he knew the last time she had made love.

He also knew that every bit of information he had filled him with an excitement and passion that he had long since forgotten that he could feel.

_**TBC**_

ed all over again.

managed to steady her breathing when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye and the panic star


	2. Chapter 2

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Two – The Mansion**

As soon as Viktor felt Beth start to fall, he put his hands under her to stop her hitting the ground.

'May the universe protect us from foolish humans!' he muttered as he stood in the middle of the road deciding what to do with her. He considered leaving her in car. He considered leaving her in the road. Common sense told him that leaving her wasn't an option. What an earth would she make of what she had seen this evening? She may have irritated him, but he couldn't just leave her to the mercy of the elements – or the Lycans.

He laid her across the back seat of her car, called for Marta and slapped her flank sending her home and walked to the front of the car. His hand hovered over the bonnet of the car, he slowly closed his eyes and suddenly the car engine sprang into life. Selene did him a favour. After you had died twice, you never really knew what talents you would come back with. He lightly touched the last part of the scar that was visible on his forehead – the pain was gone – but there was still a perceptible scar from the middle of his forehead disappearing into his hair line. Considering what his body had gone through, he couldn't really complain.

He slipped into the driving seat and the car pulled away nice and smoothly. Very nice car she had, but he preferred to be sat astride Marta. The car may be faster, but the feeling of power was infinitely greater when it was an animal you were dominating and not a machine. Viktor did have to admit to himself that it was good to drive again. It had been a long time. It had actually been a long time since he was outside and far from the mansion. It felt good. Good enough to nearly bring a smile to his face. Only nearly.

**********************************************************************

When Beth woke up she felt completely disorientated as to where she was. Her first thought was that she had had the weirdest dream she had ever had in her life.

As she became aware of her surroundings, she began to realise that maybe it hadn't been a dream. The sun was streaming through three very long windows on one side of the room. She felt warm and comfortable in the bed she was in. She looked around the room and was intrigued to find such luxury. Obviously no expense was spared in this house.

As she tried to sit up she felt a twinge of pain in her hand. When she looked down she found it to be bandaged. She was pleased it was cared for, but she was confused as to how it got that way.

Beth looked across the room to find a coffee machine dripping hot aromatic coffee into a jug and a tray with an assortment of 'continental breakfast' items on it. She realised how hungry she was and climbed out of the bed. She was very pleased to find that the only thing that had been removed was her shoes. For one moment, she imagined herself waking up in a soft flouncy nightgown and thinking she had just stepped into a Hammer House of Horror production.

'Oh you are so dramatic sometimes Beth!' she chided herself as she walked across to the coffee.

Next to the tray was a note which read:

'_Help yourself to what ever you require to eat. There is a bathroom adjoining your room, take also whatever you require from there. Your case was retrieved from the car and its contents have been stored in the cupboards you see in your room. _

_There is a well stocked kitchen on the ground floor – you should make use of this for your lunch. Your car is in the driveway. You will find it immobile._

_I will speak to you on my return this evening._

_Do NOT venture out of this house in the dark. It can be very dangerous in this part of the country when the sun has gone down. Should you not take my advice, the next time you are in trouble I will leave you to it.'_

The damn cheek of the man! Who the hell did he think he was? Obviously he was used to getting what he wanted! He was going to get a shock when he came back to find Beth. She raised one eyebrow in slight humour at the thought of a verbal battle and mind games with her 'rescuer'.

He had no idea what was coming to him! The reality of the situation was – neither did she.

**********************************************************************

Beth finished an ample breakfast had a quick bath to spruce herself up. She removed the bandage to find that the cut on her hand had almost healed over night. It mustn't have been as bad as she thought it had.

She found her watch on the dresser and it was only 11 o'clock. She decided that she would explore the house. The note hadn't said she couldn't after all.

She couldn't tell how big the house was from her room, but she assumed it must be very large as there were six other large doors on the corridor when she pulled her bedroom door open. She wandered along the corridor trying all of the doors. Curiosity getting the better of her, every time she found a door that would open – she wandered in to have a look at the rooms. They were all very similar to her own. Long sunshine filled windows, sumptuous drapes and luxurious fittings. The last door she tried was locked. She was disappointed. This was the room at the end of the corridor and she realised that it must cover the whole of one end of the house. It would have to be huge and the views would be spectacular if the view from her window was anything to go by. She tried the door again, just to make sure, but the door wouldn't budge.

Never mind.

She retraced her steps back along the corridor, passed her room and came to a very ornate staircase.

'Now this is very "Gone with the Wind"!' she found herself saying as she walked down the stairs with one hand trailing on the banister. It swept down to the ground floor in a beautiful arc. She felt a little out of place in her jeans and a shirt. It would have been much more appropriate to have had on a long flowing dress, or at least a long black coat like her rescuer. Her 'rescuer'. She realised that she didn't even know his name.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she found a large squashy sofa covered in purple velvet. She sat down to take in her surroundings. There was a long corridor off to the right at the bottom of the stairs – she assumed this led to the kitchen. There were two doors on the far wall opposite where the stairs touched the ground floor and another door to the left in the far corner. Also on this wall was a huge chimney breast with an impressive fireplace. The fire was lit and placed around the fire was a collection of chairs and sofas which looked equally as comfortable as the one she was sitting on.

The walls were painted quite pale, which surprised her. For some reason she would have expected them to be dark. All of the paintwork was very dark and she couldn't make out whether it was black or not.

The floor was amazing. It was tiled with the most amazing mosaics. The mosaic was a circular pattern beginning in the very centre of the room. The more she looked at it the more she realised why the walls were so plain – anything else would have detracted from the beauty of the floor. It was predominantly black and white, but it also had tiles of deep purple, red and orange which picked out he colours of the sofas and chairs perfectly.

She could have watched the floor for hours, but she decided to explore the rest of the ground floor.

The two doors on the opposite wall led to one very large sitting room and one spectacular dining room. There was nothing at all out of place.

Beth tried the door on the left and found herself in a massive library. It was one of those libraries that have a mezzanine floor half way up so that you can get to the books on the top. She was in heaven! Books were her thing. She had always loved reading and studying. She had missed the challenge when she had finished her doctorate 5 years ago and had been wondering what she could do next? Did she want to do another doctorate? She could be 'Doctor, Doctor Howard!'

She wandered along the shelves without realising the passage of time until her stomach started to grumble. Looking at her watch she realised that it was one o'clock and most definitely time for lunch.

She headed for the corridor which she felt sure housed the kitchen and felt pleased with herself when the first door she opened was she kitchen. She walked straight to the other side of the room and nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice said 'Can I help you?'

She turned to find a woman with an apron on around fifty years of age. 'My God! You nearly scared the life out of me!' 'Well, that's something you should get used to if you stay here,' the woman replied.

Beth furrowed her brow and was about to speak, but the woman beat her to it. 'I'm sorry, I'm not used to people being here. I took this job because I basically can't stand most everyone I meet and this was a perfect opportunity to get a great salary and never have to speak to anyone.'

She saw the look of horror on Beth's face and carried on 'My name is Ella and I'm the housekeeper come cook come everything else. And you are?' Beth introduced herself and was surprised to find that she as quite warming to this abrasive character.

'Do you look after this whole house on your own?' 'Well, yes I do actually. It isn't as bad as it looks. I spend all day cleaning it. When it's so big you just get round everywhere and it's dusty enough to start again!' replied Ella. 'Do you want some lunch?'

Ella made Beth an excellent lunch. Beth, curiosity being one of her worst traits as Ella 'Who owns this place, what's he like? What does he do for a job?'

Ella kept on working and preparing what Beth assumed was dinner for tonight, 'I will let you talk to him yourself tonight. I have only met him a few times.'

'Haven't you been here very long then?'

'I've been here for 2 years next week.'

'So how come you have not really seen him? Surely you must be here when he gets home?'

'He usually appears when it is dark and I don't stay here in the dark. I never stay in the dark. He told me always to be a long way from here by the time darkness falls. I must get on. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.' With that last comment, Ella left the kitchen leaving Beth puzzled.

'What has this man got about the dark?' she wondered as she took a large piece of the cake Ella had left her and her coffee back to the library. She wandered slowly to the back of the library and found a painting at the end of one of the aisles. It looked like her rescuer. Underneath was written 'Viktor, valiant Warlord', she couldn't read all of the date – but the first two numbers said this had been painted in the 12th century. 'The family resemblance must be very strong in these ones!' she muttered.

She found a history book about Hungary and settled down to read. She must have drifted off at some point because when she awoke it was dusk and the sun had just started to disappear behind the horizon. The book she had been holding had fallen on the floor and the coffee cup she had had very luckily slid between her thigh and the chair and still held its contents.

She stood up and stretched and walked across to the window to watch the last vestiges of the sun disappear. As she walked back towards the body of the library a voice spoke to her out of the darkness, 'I trust you had a pleasant day? I am glad you obeyed my wishes and did not venture out in the darkness.'

'Exactly who are you? I get the impression that you aren't ever used to anyone saying no to you or not doing what they are told. You look like the man in the painting – so who are you?'

'My name is Viktor.'

'So that man is a relative of yours? Yes?' He just stood there, without moving one muscle.

'My name is Viktor.'

'Yes, I know, you've said that! So is he your great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather? He's hardly you is he?'

'Elisabeth, things are not always as they seem.' He gestured with his hand for her to walk with him.

'The name's Beth.' But as she walked beside him, she couldn't for the life of her remember telling him her name.

'_You didn't.'_ She was sure she had heard these words, but she was looking at him and his lips had never moved.

She walked beside him cursing her overactive imagination under her breath.

Viktor walked beside her with the tiniest of amused smiles touching his lips.

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Three – An Enlightening Evening**

Viktor and Beth walked back through the library in silence. Once out of the library, Viktor indicated that she go into the Dining Room.

'Are you sure?' she said 'It's only the two of us and the room is huge – it seems a waste!'

Viktor replied 'It may seem a waste to you, but usually there is only me and if I never used it unless it was full, the room would gather dust and never have anyone in it.'

'Sorry.'

'There is no need for apologies – you wanted to know and I answered you. Something tells me that you very seldom leave anything unsaid.'

For the first time Beth saw a glint of humour in Viktor's eyes and she like what she saw.

The large table was set up for the two of them at one end. There was a roaring fire just a few feet away from the table and the lights we set low enough for the fire light to illuminate the table making the whole room look warm and cosy and not really what she imagined.

'Your house is amazing! I took the liberty of looking around this morning, I hope you didn't mind? I had a sneak in all of the rooms next to mine as well. Sorry – curiosity is a bit of a failing for me!'

'Did you look in all of the rooms?' asked Viktor as she poured wine for her from a decanter. Beth noticed he poured his from a different decanter, it still looked like red wine, just a shade thicker?

'No – I couldn't get in the room at the very end of the corridor. Which was a shame really – I thought the view from its windows would have been spectacular.'

'The view is exactly as you would imagine. The room is my bedroom.' Viktor held Beth's gaze and she felt oddly uncomfortable. She wasn't sure why. He hadn't said anything that was out of line except that this is where he slept. It was those eyes, she decided. She was beginning to think they glowed in the dark! It wasn't just his eyes, it was his whole presence. He was very confident with his clipped, upper class English accent. Powerful. That was the word she was searching for. He seemed so powerful. If he was in a film – he would be the leading man who stood out head and shoulders above the rest of the cast.

She stopped musing and looked back at him. Viktor was still looking at her with the kind of look that was waiting for an answer.

'Sorry – what did you just say?'

'What are you doing out here in the country?'

'Well, I was having a break. It's the summer break for the university and I wanted to go somewhere that was totally different from Oxford in England.' Viktor gave a snort. Beth carried on regardless 'The countryside round here is magnificent. I have never seen such fantastic mountain ranges. I never knew places like this existed.' Viktor never smiled or even acknowledged that she had just complimented his country.

'How come you live here on you own? Doesn't it get lonely?'

'I live in my own because this is what I choose to do at this moment in time. I have spent years living with many other people and now I choose to live with no-one.'

Beth found herself wondering about more than just his wandering around such a big house all on his own. What did he do for company? Who did he talk to? Ella had already said that she very seldom saw him. She couldn't imagine him being alone all of the time. He must spend some time with someone? For goodness sake, he was still young, obviously fit, she couldn't imagine him spending every night by himself.

As she turned to look at him, he raised one eyebrow and she suddenly blushed at what she was thinking. Although why she did, she didn't know – it wasn't as if he could hear her thoughts, was it?

'What do you do at the university Elisabeth?'

'Why so you call me Elisabeth? I told you my name was Beth. I don't like Elisabeth, it's too formal.'

'Elisabeth is a beautiful name and it was the name you were given. You should respect your parents enough to use the name they gave you.'

She decided to bite her tongue and leave this battle to another time. 'I teach Psychology – it's what my doctorate is in. I have always been fascinated why people do what they do. What motivates them? What makes them cry, makes them laugh? Why are some people's nightmares other people's dreams? I like to look at stereotypes society imposes on people and then look behind at the real person. What are their fears, their dreams, their desires.'

'You study people then?'

'I suppose I do. It fascinates me what people assume of another person.'

'Like what?'

'Well, for along time society assumed that all a woman wanted was to be married, have children and live in a perfect house.'

'And there is something wrong with that?'

'No, there isn't, if that's what you want. So many people have assumed that women are delicate and they want the nice, safe things that life offers? A pretty house. Beautiful children. A sweet considerate lover.'

'So women want to be married to men who are complete bastards?'

'No! That's not what I mean at all and you are being, forgive me, a perfect example of someone who assumes that what he knows is the reality.'

'Explain.'

'Well, some women are happy with the sweet man at her side, whose idea of foreplay is to take his socks off before he climbs into bed with this wife. But some women aren't happy with that. They want more and for a long time they wouldn't say this, because what they want blurs the edges of the norm.'

Viktor again raised an eyebrow. 'Carry on…'

'Right, I've said that some women are happy with a man whose idea of foreplay is to take his socks off before he climbs into bed, but the reality is that many women would like something much "darker" than this. Sweetness and sensitivity is nice, but a lot of woman would rather have a man who would push her onto the kitchen table, rip her underwear off and be inside her before she had the time to say "Mind that sugar bowl"!'

'And the problem with this is?'

'In thinking that they want something different, the lines between sex and violence often blur. I'm not saying that women have fantasies of being beaten up and raped. But there is something exciting about being with someone who is so obviously more powerful than they are, stronger…more dominant. It's exciting…it's arousing and it's incredibly erotic.'

Viktor never took his eyes off Beth as she spoke. He was beginning to find this human exhilarating. He never usually like women who fought back, but he was beginning to think that he could make in exception in her case.

'So what would you want from a lover Elisabeth?'

'What?'

'Do you want a man with a tidy sock draw or someone who holds you down while he arouses you to the point of screaming?'

Beth blinked several times, just to make sure she had heard correctly. She couldn't believe that someone she hadn't known twenty four hours ago was asking her such intimate questions.

'Well?'

She looked at her plate, now empty, and didn't know how to respond.

'I don't think you know me well enough to ask me questions like this, do you? Well, you obviously think you do don't you! I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up. I'll leave you to clear the plates and get me a dessert and a coffee. Don't ask me that question again!'

Beth pushed her chair back and walked away from the table. However, she couldn't stop her self thinking as she walked to the door 'If it was you that was holding me down, you could make me scream as much as you liked.'

Viktor actually smiled as she left the room, 'Thank you Selene, now _this_ gift you left me with is invaluable.'

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Four – Assumed Intimacy**

As Beth walked up the long staircase, having decided the use the bathroom next to her bedroom, she couldn't decide whether she was totally furious or incredibly curious.

Furious, obviously because she had never had anyone speak to her with such an assumed intimacy as Viktor had. Just where did that man get off daring to ask her such a question? He didn't really expect her to answer him did he? But then again, she may not have answered him out loud – but she certainly did in her head as she was leaving the room.

That's where the curiosity came in. There was something about him that was fascinating to her. She'd studied people the whole of her adult life and she had never met anyone like him. There was an arrogance about him that didn't seem to come from Viktor just _thinking_ himself to be clever. He seemed to be wise and so much older than his years. It was curious.

As she reached the top of the stairs she realised that the door at the end of the corridor was open. Viktor's bedroom. An opportunity she just couldn't miss! She walked quickly down the corridor and stopped just as she got to the door. Could she really do this? Invade someone's privacy like this?

It took her two seconds to decide that after the question he had just asked her, yes she damn well could!

She pushed the door open and went in to find a room several times bigger than hers. It was beautiful. It followed the opulence of the rest of the house. There was a huge bed against the wall where the door was offering a fantastic view through the windows on the opposite side.

On the other side of the door was a large fireplace – it was in its ember stage – but the warmth from it could be felt everywhere in the room. In front of the fire was a collection of seats and sofas very similar to those downstairs, but all of them were red velvet.

At the far end of the room she could see two very large French doors opening up onto a large balcony. She found herself touching various items as she walked past them towards the other end of the room. The large newel posts at the corners of the bed. The she wandered across to the sofas to stroke the plush velvet material. The wood of the dresser felt like glass under her fingertips. When she reached the French doors, she couldn't resist walking out into the fresh air. The view was breath taking. She hadn't realised that the house was so high up in the mountains and the balcony allowed a perfect panorama of the valley below.

It was a full moon and it seemed to be so close to the earth. The light it afforded the land below allowed Beth to see quite clearly into the darkness. She leaned her hands on the wall encasing the balcony and decided to stand there a while and admire what she could see.

A second later she realised that Viktor was behind her. She couldn't see him, she had her back to the door, but she could _feel _his presence. She waited for him to berate her for invading his room, instead, he just walked up to her and stood right behind her.

'Admiring my view Elisabeth?'

He was standing so close to her that she could feel his body practically touching hers. She wasn't sure whether it was his presence or the breeze of the night that made her shiver, but whichever it was, it didn't go unnoticed by him.

'It's colder than you think up here, even in the summer. This is a land never to be underestimated.'

He put his hand on her shoulder, partly on her shirt and partly on her skin and Beth shivered again.

'You are getting too cold up here, we should return to our meal.'

'I am fine.' She said, 'I want to stay just a little longer – this view isn't something I have ever seen before and it's not something I am going to forget in a very long time!'

'On that, Elisabeth, we would have to agree.' Viktor took off the long black coat he had worn for dinner and placed it around Beth's shoulders. It came to his knees – however, it came to her ankles. She felt the warmth of his body surrounding her in his coat and she could smell him on the fabric.

He stood beside her and leaned against the balustrade folding his arms across his chest. She looked across at him. Black trousers, black boots, black shirt and blue eyes.

'Not much of a colour man are you?'

'Sorry?'

'I mean, do you ever wear anything but black. I know I've only seen you twice, but black every time. You a 'Goth' are you? Or are you going to say the colour suits your mood?'

Viktor stood and looked at her, and said 'Well, I would have to say I think it suits my eyes – don't you think?'

Beth found herself staring back into his eyes. And then she saw the twinkle in them and realised he was making fun of her and she laughed.

'Well, they are a rather striking feature!' she found herself saying without really thinking about it.

In an attempt to change the subject Beth started to witter on about nothing. 'This balustrade is rather low don't you think? Are you never afraid of falling over the edge? Don't you think it should be a little higher for safety's sake?'

'Elisabeth.'

'Well, if it's that safe you won't mind if I sit on the edge then will you?' and she pulled herself up onto the wall.

Viktor stood up in front of her. Beth realised that with the added height of the wall, they were nearly eye to eye. Viktor moved to stand a little closer to her and she found him standing between her legs.

'What makes you tick Elisabeth Howard?'

'Curiosity….determination….knowledge…' And _passion_ she said, but only to herself. She saw his eyes widen a little and she could have sworn that he'd heard her, but that was impossible.

He reached out to tuck a strand of hair back behind her ear that the breeze had dislodged and her heart seemed to stop as his fingers lingered just a little too long on her neck just under her ear.

He just stood there and she was too mesmerised to move.

What she really wanted to do was to reach up to his face and touch the skin on his cheeks and his neck and his lips.

She found herself wondering how he would feel under her fingertips. Was his skin as soft as it looked? Was he as dominant in other areas of his life as he was in his conversation?

Just as she was wondering what his tongue would feel like when her thoughts were interrupted abruptly. Beth wasn't sure quite what happened, one minute she was sitting on the wall, the next there was a flurry of fur in between her and Viktor and she could feel herself falling backwards.

As quickly as she felt herself falling, she felt Viktor's arms around her waist pulling her off the wall. She had never felt such terror and was very happy just standing quietly with Viktor's arms around her until her breathing returned to normal.

When Viktor realised that she was beginning to calm down he released her slightly and put his hands on her shoulders asking if she was alright.

'What the hell happened? One minute….wall…fur….thought I was dying!!'

'Lucy.'

'What??'

'It was Lucy. A cat. He's sat just behind you on the wall.'

Beth turned around to see the biggest tabby cat she had ever seen in her life sat on the wall where she had just been sitting.

'Lucy? Won't he get a bit of a complex with a girl's name? Bit of a big girl's blouse is he?'

Viktor actually laughed out loud 'Lucy is short for Lucifer. If you spend any time in this house you will realise he is certainly not a "big girl's blouse" as you put it and he well deserves his given name! Shall we go in and finish our dinner?'

The shock of nearly falling over the wall had made her forget about what she had been thinking about. Had she lost control of her faculties? What possessed her?

The rest of the evening passed very pleasantly. They talked about art and Viktor showed her some of the paintings in the house that were really quite valuable. He was an excellent conversationalist. It was obvious to Beth that he had a massive wealth of knowledge for a man of his age.

She was fascinated to know more, but the tiredness of all the driving she had done in the last few days and the trauma of the evening was beginning to tell on her.

She walked up the staircase with Viktor at her side. He stopped to bid her goodnight at her door.

Just as she was about to close the door, she heard him speak to her.

'I will leave you to your _thoughts. _Sweet dreams Elisabeth.'

As Beth closed the door quietly behind her, her mind was racing. Viktor implied by what he said that he knew things about her. When people in the past had spoken with her with that air of 'assumed intimacy' it had really annoyed her. With Viktor, it seemed different and she wasn't sure why.

She climbed into the big comfortable bed flicking off the light as she went. She had left the curtains open and the room was bathed in moonlight. The last thoughts on her mind as she drifted off to sleep was the thought of Viktor touching the skin on her neck.

_**TBC**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Five – Foolishness and Power**

Viktor walked back down the stairs with Lucifer at his heels. He loved the night time. He loved how any small flicker of light could change a shadow or the mood of a room. As he passed the bottom stair, he flicked off the lights and headed for the sofas beside the fire. It was still beautifully warm and the moment he sat down, Lucifer joined him on his lap.

'Stupid cat!' he thought, 'You could have killed her with your jealousy!' Lucifer just looked at him with wide eyes, gave a small chirrup and settled down on his master's lap for another long sleep.

Viktor felt more relaxed than he had done in a long time. He had gotten used to the solitude. His friends (were they really friends?) and colleagues had persisted in trying to persuade him to again open up his house to a community of his people. Maybe some time soon he would. He hoped that this wouldn't be the sole topic of conversation when some of them came to see him for dinner in two days time.

Two days time…he had completely forgotten about them. What was he going to do with Elisabeth? He could mend her car and let her leave tomorrow. Curious that she hadn't even asked about the car today. Or he could allow her to stay and see what a Doctor of Psychology made of his dinner guests. Now that would be an amusing evening. Yes, the car must stay broken.

**********************************************************************

Beth woke to the same sunny weather and the smell of coffee in her room. She could really get used to this lifestyle.

The car! Why hadn't she even thought to ask about the car? What an idiot she was. What must Viktor have thought? That she was sponging from his hospitality maybe? She assumed that if he had thought this, he would have said so – not being a man to keep his opinions to himself.

After wandering around the ground floor, she could neither find Viktor or Ella. She did, however, find Lucifer sitting on the bottom stair as she returned to the hall.

He never moved. Not one fur clad little muscle moved. She couldn't believe that she was about to square up to a cat!

'Look you, you could have killed me last night!' Lucifer never moved. 'I think you are a big girl's blouse anyway, regardless of what your master says, and I think that all you really want is a tickle behind the ear and a pilchard or two!'

Feeling brave, Beth stretched out her hand to stroke Lucifer's head. He let her touch him for a few moments and then whipped his head away quickly. Then just as quickly he sniffed Beth's hand and rubbed her hand with his head in that 'welcome to the pride' way. Beth smiled at him and he trotted off up the stairs.

'Maybe I should try that with your master!'

**********************************************************************

Viktor felt Lucifer pad his way from the bottom of the bed and up his chest. He stopped when he was standing with all four paws on his chest and then curled up beside Viktor on the bedspread.

'Where've you been Lucy? Spying I think my friend.'

Within ten minutes, the both of them were deep in sleep, oblivious of anything going on around them. And Viktor never locked the door.

**********************************************************************

Beth decided that this was too beautiful a day not to go and explore in the daylight, the scenery she had seen from the balcony.

She decided to have a quick trip into Viktor's room to see if there were any obvious paths to follow.

She got to his room and was quite surprised that the curtains were still closed. 'Each to his own, I suppose.' She muttered as she walked across the room.

She was nearly half way across the room when she realised that there was someone in the bed. It was one of those moments when you had to decide whether to say something, carry on or retreat. Beth did none of those; instead she walked across to where Viktor was sleeping. There was a small light shining from the dresser across the room so she could see him quite clearly.

In sleep, Viktor looked incredibly peaceful. The covers came to just under his chest and she could see Lucifer at his side. He was such a pale skinned soul. She could see a scar across his chest and another on his neck. He seemed a little less scary when his blue eyes weren't focussed specifically on you.

She was curious as to why he was still in bed at this hour? Why wasn't he at work? What did he actually do?

Suddenly feeling as though she was intruding, Beth retreated back to the door. As she walked with her back to the bed, two sets of eyes followed her, one feline and the other, icy blue.

**********************************************************************

When Beth got outside, she was quite startled by the breath-taking view she saw. The house was high up in the mountains so she could see for miles. It was good to feel the warm sunshine on her skin and the breeze in her hair.

She had always been quite proud of her hair. It was much longer that her students considered trendy – nearly down to her waist and it was a fire red colour and naturally curly. Not that finger stuck in a light socket curly, but soft long spirals that you paid a fortune at the hairdressers to get curly.

As she wandered along a natural break in the trees she wondered about her illustrious host. There was something about him that she just didn't get. She couldn't believe that forty-eight hours ago she didn't know him. It felt like she had known him for an eternity and at the same time it felt like she knew nothing at all about him.

Never mind what made her tick – but what made him tick? She wondered if he was some kind of reclusive royal. That would fit. Left his country because of a scandal? Maybe it was money? Maybe a woman? Or a man?!? Or maybe she should just concentrate on the beauty around her and stop making things up in her head!

As Beth wandered through the trees she kept her eyes open for a good place to sit. She had gathered the making of a good lunch from the kitchen and picked up the book she had been trying to read yesterday when she went to sleep in the library. It was the one about Hungarian history. She wondered if she could find anything out about Viktor's ancestor whose painting hung in the library.

Beth came to a small clearing after she had been walking for about an hour. The view was still spectacular and there were several large smooth rocks to sit on. She settled herself on the largest of these, unpacked something to eat and drink and settled down with the book.

She thumbed her way through a great deal of it scanning to find the name of Viktor's namesake. Finally, she found something and began to read with interest.

'_Viktor was a powerful Hungarian Warlord. He was__ a powerful ruler during his mortal life, yet near his death, a man by the name of Markus Corvinus came to visit him. Markus was the original of his species, a vampire. Markus offered Viktor eternal life, as he needed the power Viktor controlled to defeat his brother, William, the original lycan, a werewolf. Viktor, who feared death, agreed, and Markus had an army. Yet it came with a terrible price. Markus was the most powerful in his strength, yet Viktor now wielded __**more**__ leverage. Viktor led his men to defeat the lycans, and imprisons William. Viktor gradually came to gather a false history around him. As the years passed, he came to be viewed as the original vampire, and controlled Markus through the threat that he would slay William. As Viktor ruled, the vampires flourished and grew in strength._

_Viktor had a daughter, her name was Sonja. He adored her, yet she eventually came to love a lycan by the name of Lucian. By this time the Lycans served as Viktor's slaves, and he viewed this as a betrayal, and when she became pregnant, he saw that he has no choice. A joining of the species would be an abomination; her love for Lucien is heresy. He, by his view, is forced to put her to death. He left her tied to a stone pillar as the sun rises and he watched as his daughter burnt to death in the sunlight.'_

Beth looked at the words she had just read, shook her head, she looked at the book cover to make sure that this was, indeed, a history book and not a farcical fantasy. No, it didn't say it was, but Beth couldn't believe the rubbish she had just read. Vampires? Werewolves? People living for ever? Dying in the sunlight? Who wrote this book? Bram Stoker? This was the 21st century – no-one believed in this kind of folklore anymore! They obviously have a strange sense of reality as far as their history is concerned in Hungary.

She chided herself for not having looked at the book properly before leaving the house – it hasn't quite ruined the afternoon – but she never had been very keen on fantasy rubbish as a literary style!

She packed up and as she did so felt a slight chill in the air. The sun was beginning to set and she still had an hour's walk back to the house.

She walked quickly as she headed back up the hill through the trees. Realisation dawned on her that she wasn't going to beat the darkness back to the house. She never realised that it would get so dark so quickly in this part of Europe.

She stopped in her tracks as she heard a bloodcurdling howl, followed by several others in quick succession. Her imagination was working overtime – especially with all the rubbish she had read this afternoon.

She was struggling to pick out the path it was so dark now when all of a sudden she heard the noise of horse's hooves in the distance and getting nearer. It sounded as though they were heading straight for her.

In a moment of fear she wondered if the horse would trample her if it headed straight down the path.

No sooner had this thought entered her head, the sound of the hooves became deafening. However, this noise was preferable to the words that followed it.

'You stupid, thoughtless, ignorant child! What did I tell you? Would you choose to end your life in the darkness of a forest such as this? Do you have any idea of the danger you are in?'

Beth felt like she was ten years old and standing in front of the school headmaster. As Viktor stopped speaking he bent down from the horse and pulled her effortlessly up in front of him.

'Put your leg over the horse if you are not planning to fall off on the journey home.'

She did as she was told and Viktor pulled her back against him putting his arms around her waist in order to hold the reins once again.

She could feel his solid body behind her and his breath on the skin of her neck. He kicked his heels to let Marta know she needed to pick up speed. This action made Beth lean against Viktor and she found herself holding onto his arms to stabilise herself.

The feeling of power having the horse under her and Viktor so close to her was nothing less than exhilarating.

Beth was quite sad when they came to the house and she had to dismount. Dismount would be a rather grand word for it – Viktor almost dropped Beth from the horse, jumped immediately off after her and slapped Marta on the flank to move around the other side of the house.

Beth had to practically run to keep up with Viktor as he strode towards the house.

As they enter the tiled hall, Viktor took off his long leather gloves, threw them onto a chair and said 'Go and tidy up before dinner. I am assuming you can follow _those_ instructions?'

Beth was furious! 'What's the matter Viktor? Do you think I would have been attacked by a _lycan_? Or maybe you think I would have fallen prey to a _vampire_?'

Viktor stopped dead in his tracks and turned round very slowly to face Beth who was twenty foot away.

She held the book in her hand she had read this afternoon. 'Do you really think I am childish enough to believe this rubbish? People who turn into wolves? Others who grow fangs and feed on the blood of others? What do you take me for? You really are an arrogant bastard!'

She never saw or heard him move, but in an instant, Beth felt a hand at the back of her neck in her hair forcing her head back, another around her waist, pulling her hard against him and Viktor's breath a hair's breadth from her neck.

All she could hear was the sound of her heart beating and her breathing. She was sure she could feel his teeth scrape across her skin.

Both of them stood there for several moments, not moving or saying anything.

Then, ever so gently, Viktor placed his lips on her neck and kissed the soft skin. Just once. Beth thought her legs were going to crumple underneath her. And then he kissed her again and this time Beth could feel his tongue touching her flesh. Again, it was only one kiss and he released her from his arms.

'Elisabeth, go and clean up and we'll have dinner. I believe you and I need to have a discussion don't you?'

With that, he picked up his gloves from where he had left them and took the stairs three at a time and was gone.

_**TBC**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Six – Truth**

Beth stood there for at least five minutes trying to work out just what had happened. How had she gone from shouting at him to having his lips on her neck? She was still furious for the way he had spoken to her. She was even more furious for the way her body was starting to betray her.

She thought again of his lips on her skin and she closed hers eyes slowly as a shiver ran down her spine. How could she have any kind of feelings for someone she had only met two days ago? Someone who was stranger than anyone she had ever met in her entire life, but also someone more intriguing? Was that the word she as looking for? More powerful? More arrogant, yes that was one word that certainly described Viktor. More _intoxicating_! Now that was the word she was looking for.

The last words he had said to her before he left were that they needed to have a discussion. She thought that was an understatement, but what was he going to say? She was beginning to wonder what kind of world she had wandered into? How could there be a feasible explanation for all that seemed to be happening?

Well, the quicker she got cleaned up – the quicker she could have that discussion with Viktor. She took the stairs three at a time like Viktor, except after the first nine, she decided that one at a time was perfectly sufficient for her.

**********************************************************************

When she entered the dining room, Viktor was already there standing in the firelight. No long coat tonight – but everything else was still black.

'Drink?' Beth took the glass from Viktor and sat down at the table. The meal smelled and look lovely and she hadn't realised how hungry she was.

'What do you want to know Elisabeth?'

Beth just sat looking at him and trying to decide what to ask – so many questions.

'Ask me anything and I will tell you the truth. But be warned, you may not like what you hear.'

'So I can ask you anything and you will tell me?'

'Yes.'

'How old are you Viktor?'

'Older than I look.'

'That picture in the library. It's you isn't it?'

'Yes.'

'OK, I'm trying to get my head round the fact you've just told me you are over a thousand years old.' Beth looked at her food, looked at the fire and looked back at Viktor. 'So that either makes you a werewolf or a vampire right?' Viktor nodded.

'This is crazy – you have to be kidding me!' She put her elbows on the table and rubbed her forehead and as her hands came to rest under her chin with her fingers interlocking, she looked at him again. He picked up his glass and took a drink and Beth was transfixed by the liquid he was drinking. 'Is that blood?' He shook his head. 'Well, that's something at least!'

Viktor put the glass down. 'It's a blood substitute.'

Beth closed her eyes and said 'Now that makes that _something_ a very big _something_! Are you a vampire?'

'Yes.'

'But this is ridiculous! They don't exist! They are a figment of the imagination of a man who wrote a novel in 1897.' Beth couldn't decide whether she was becoming terrified at the thought of what Viktor might be, or mortified that he may well be, because if that was true, then what she had read about this afternoon was the reality of the man sat beside her.

'You have to understand that I am struggling with this, don't you? That man I read about this afternoon – was it you?'

'Yes Elisabeth, it was.'

'But you were a monster and that confuses me. Because what I have seen of you in the last few days isn't what was in that book…'

'There is a lot more that isn't in that book Elisabeth and most of it would make interesting reading, but not pleasant listening. I am who I am. Time has changed me. More recent times have changed me more.'

'Did you let your daughter die in the sunlight?'

'The child she carried in her womb was an abomination….and yes, I let her die.'

'How could you do that? Did you have no affection for her al all?'

'I loved my daughter! But the blood line of my race and its future were more important. It was for the greater good.'

Beth didn't know what to say anymore, so she ate in silence.

'Why did you want to be a vampire?'

'I didn't, I wanted to be an immortal – I didn't want to die – I wanted to live forever.'

'Was it worth it? Is it worth it?'

'Yes and yes. I have seen so many great things happen. Yes, there have been times when I have seen things I wish I hadn't, but in a thousand years there have been a great many joys.'

'The blood – it's not human blood then is it? I think we may have noticed if you'd been killing us off to eat!'

'Hence the substitute. It is passable and palatable, but we have no alternative.'

'Do all of you eat a substitute? Actually – how many are there of you?'

'There are a few hundred of us and no, not everyone uses the substitutes. Those are the outcasts who refuse to conform. No-one wants to use the substitute, but if we want to live here – we must get used to it. As you say, you may notice your population depleting if you were used as a food source.'

'The substitute – doesn't it taste good?'

'It doesn't taste as good as the blood running through your veins Elisabeth.'

Beth found herself staring into those icy eyes. The reality of what he was saying was beginning to dawn on her. Viktor was an immortal, a vampire, he had killed people for food and killed people for power. Yet she still saw a man in front of her who had enthralled her with his discussion and made her go weak at the knees with his touch. Her head hurt!

'I am not surprised your head hurts. You have had a lot for you mind to process – even if you are a Doctor!'

Beth squinted her eyes. 'Can you read my mind? You've said a few things now that makes me think you can hear what I'm thinking.'

'Yes I can – if I choose to. Most of the time I choose not to – it would be rude.'

'Doesn't say in the book that vampires can read minds.'

'Let's just say that it has been an addition to my repertoire. Shall we move somewhere more comfortable for coffee?'

Beth followed Viktor out of the dining room to the sofas beside the fire. All the lights were out in the hall, the only illumination came from the flames. Viktor sat at one end of a sofa with his feet on the table and his coffee balanced on the sofa arm – Beth chose the opposite end of the sofa and tucked her feet under her facing him.

She sat looking at him looking at the fire for a few moments.

Suddenly a question popped into her head. 'You've tasted my blood – does that make _me_ a vampire?'

'Did you enjoy being out in the sunshine today?' She nodded. 'I assume that answers your question then?'

'Does a crucifix kill you?'

'No, but I am not overly fond of them.'

'Garlic?'

'Only in that I can't stand the smell!'

'Holy water?'

'No. And yes, to the next question. A sharp implement piercing my chest would kill me. Anything else you want to know?'

'Would you bite me if I asked you?' Beth wasn't really sure where that question had come from? Is that what she wanted?

'Bite you – or turn you?' Beth frowned. Viktor continued 'They are not one and the same. I could bite you on the wrist or your neck, taste your blood, but I need not turn you.'

'So what would you do to turn me?'

'I would take enough blood from you to bring you to the point of death…and then you must taste the blood in my veins.'

'Oh….do you never miss the sun on your face and being around during the day?'

'You get used to it. I am quite capable of being around during the day – I just can't go outside. That's why we take the time during the day to sleep. If we are awake at night, we can also be outside.'

'Can we go outside now? I know you say the forest is dangerous during the night. But there is "outside" on your balcony.'

Viktor stood up and Beth assumed the answer was yes. They walked up the stairs and to his room in silence.

The view was as spectacular as she remembered it from last night. She stood in the same place she had before and drank in the view.

'Your home is amazing Viktor. I'm not surprised you don't want to share it.'

When Viktor spoke she realised that he was standing directly behind her. 'I never said I didn't want to share it – I said I didn't want to share it with a community like myself.'

Viktor leaned forward to put his hands on the wall either side of Beth's and she could feel his breath on her skin.

'What do you want Elisabeth?' His voice and question made her shiver.

'In life? Or now?'

'Now.'

How much courage did she have? Could she really say what she wanted? He had asked her after all.

She couldn't manage to steady her breathing as she said 'Like earlier, I want to feel your lips on my skin like earlier.'

Viktor bent his head to touch his lips to her skin. Gentle, so very gentle. She could feel him part his lips and slide his tongue over her skin. Again so very gentle.

She turned her head slightly to see him and he kissed her very lightly on her lips.

'But you don't like gentle do you? You want passion and power. Yes?'

He waited for her to answer.

'Yes.'

He turned her around and sat her on the wall. He placed his hands between her knees to move her legs apart so he could stand between them. He never lost eye contact with her at any point.

'Still "yes"?' Beth nodded.

He put one hand behind her head and pulled her face up to his, still looking in her eyes. He stopped for one moment and then he kissed her mouth.

Beth never expected the rush of desire she felt when she felt the touch of his lips on hers and his tongue inside her mouth. He wasn't gentle anymore. He was forceful and powerful and Beth felt a passion building up inside her the likes of nothing she had felt before. He continued to kiss her, deepening the kiss with every moment. He slid his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him so her legs were wrapped around him. One hand she put on his hip and the other she dug into the hair at the nape of his neck.

She could hear a moan of ecstasy and she realised that it was her own voice. She had never felt like this with anyone. It made her wonder if anyone had ever had an orgasm simply by being kissed!

And Viktor just kept on kissing her. His tongue was forceful and entwined with her own. She could hear his breathing getting faster as he continued to kiss her. He moved the hand that was at the back of her neck, slid it over her collar bone and down to her breast. His thumb brushed several times over her nipple and she found herself groaning even more.

Viktor suddenly slowed the kiss down, stopped and looked her in the eyes.

'Powerful enough for you?'

Beth couldn't speak – she was breathing too heavy.

Beth shivered slightly and Viktor motioned for them to go in. The fire in his room was well lit and they sat together on one of the sofas. Viktor sat the same way he had downstairs, as did Beth, only this time there was no space between them and Viktor picked up Beth's legs and placed them across his lap.

Beth was feeling rather brave and said 'You asked me what I want, what do you want?'

Viktor looked at her for the longest time and Beth began to think she had made a grave error.

'What do I want? I want to keep hearing you moan because I have my tongue inside your mouth. I want to know what your breasts taste like. I want to touch every inch of your skin with my hands and my lips. I want to know what it feels like to be inside you. And I want to know what you feel like, beneath me when your body shakes because I've made you come.'

Beth held his gaze and she knew her eyes must be black with desire. No-one had ever dared to be so honest with her before and all she could think about was Viktor doing all those things to her that he had just mentioned.

'You need to go to bed Elisabeth.'

'Why? I don't want to.'

'Because I don't want to do anything to you that you'll regret. I want you to be sure and that won't be tonight. You know who and what I've been – you need to make sure that that is what you want.'

'Walk me to my room.'

Viktor and Beth walked along the corridor to her room. When she got to her door she turned and put both of her hands on Viktor's neck. Viktor put his hands up and removed her hands from his neck walking her backwards as he did so. Beth found herself pinned against the wall with her hands held tightly either side of her head as Viktor kissed her goodnight. His kiss was no more gentle than the other kiss had been and he slid his tongue deep inside her mouth, only this time she could hear a perceptible moan from him. She could feel his body hard against her and it thrilled and aroused her with a passion that shocked her.

Abruptly the kiss came to and end.

'Go to bed Elisabeth – we will finish this tomorrow!' With that he walked towards the stairs and she went into her room and closed the door.

**********************************************************************

Beth leaned against the door as she closed it. Could vampires hypnotise and mesmerise? Or was it just Viktor?

As she was just about to climb into bed, there was a knock at her door and Viktor came in.

'There is something I forgot to mention this evening. I have some people coming for dinner tomorrow evening.'

'Do you want me make myself scarce? Do you want me to leave?'

'No Elisabeth I don't want you to do either. I just thought I should warm you that we won't be alone tomorrow evening. Are you happy to join us?'

'Are they like you?'

'They are vampires, yes. But none of them would touch you whilst you are in my home.'

'That's fine, as long as I'm not on the wine list I'm happy!'

Viktor turned to leave when Beth spoke 'What do I wear? You don't exactly embrace the high street fashions – do they dress like you? I don't think I'd feel right in my jeans!'

'Would you like me to find you some suitable alternatives?' Beth nodded. 'Are you sure you trust me Elisabeth – I wouldn't like you to think my taste too dowdy for you!'

Beth laughed as Viktor left her room. She was looking forward to tomorrow evening – somehow she thought she may be the talk of the dinner table, but as long as she wasn't the dessert wine – she didn't care.

**********************************************************************

As Viktor walked back downstairs he decided that tomorrow evening was going to be a very interesting one. His 'friends' were very conservative about who they socialised with. To have a mortal dine with them would be a shock. To have a feisty, broad-minded outspoken one would be an evening to remember. He was very much looking forward to seeing and hearing Elisabeth hold her own at this dinner party!

_**TBC**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Seven – Mortal verses Immortal**

Viktor walked into Beth's room just before dawn. He laid out the dresses he thought she may like over the sofa at the end of the bed. He was just about to leave when something caught his eye. Lucifer was lying on his side across Beth's chest with his head tucked neatly under her chin. He looked relaxed and very comfortable. Beth had her hand buried in the fur across his back.

'Traitor,' was all Viktor said as he left the room.

**********************************************************************

Beth woke up as the sunshine began streaming through her windows. She felt a sudden panic and thought for one moment she was having a heart attack with such a crushing feeling across her chest. Then she remembered Lucifer, opened her eyes and came eye to eye with the large feline. 'Morning Lucifer' she said and he returned her words with a very loud purr before he leapt off her and disappeared out of the door.

As she wandered around the room the dresses that Viktor had left caught her attention. There was a beautiful red velvet dress that would have reached her shins with a low round neck. A bottle green one was next in the pile. It was soft silk, quite clingy and would reach her knees. The next one was black lace and it took Beth's breath away. This one was very long and would touch the floor with a slight train behind it. The skirt was lined with a silvery material, but the top was sheer. It was a good job she always travelled with a black bra in her suitcase wasn't it? The dress was sleeveless and had a sweetheart neck line which she was sure would show the top of any bra worn underneath it. To go with the dress was a beautiful long black coat made of very thin velvet. She tried the coat on and she was stunned how it looked, even over her Snoopy nightshirt! The coat had a collar that stood up at the back but would just about follow the neckline of the dress. It fastened snugly under her breasts with three buttons and then flared out to the floor only actually touching the floor as it got to the side of her hips and it had a slightly longer train than the dress. The two garments made an excellent partnership.

Her mind was made up – the black dress it was. She had a lovely pair of black boots that would match everything.

Beth was becoming increasingly more excited about the evening. She had no doubt that the company would be surprised by her presence. It was an excellent opportunity to study a breed of people that she had not known before. A psychologist's dream! She had a sneaking suspicion that they may not like her invading their world – especially as they seemed to want to live undetected by 'mortals'.

'Well,' she thought, 'I have sparred with the best of them, let battle commence.'

And commence it would.

**********************************************************************

Just as Viktor was drifting off to sleep he felt Lucifer's warm furry body sneak under the covers at the bottom of the bed and wend his merry way to the top.

'You, my friend are a turncoat!'

The last thoughts Viktor had before he fell asleep were how much he was looking forward to tonight. He was actually looking forward to it more than he had anything in a very long time.

**********************************************************************

Beth spent her day in the library. The sun was shining brightly outside, but she wanted to do some research if she could.

Viktor had left her a note telling her that there was a computer in the library in a small room at the back she hadn't noticed before. It had a key pad on it – but he had given her the number.

As she opened the door – it smelled old. It looked very clean, but she could tell that the volumes that were on these shelves were probably new when Viktor bought them.

It seemed a very stark contrast to see books so old with a computer that was obviously so new. Viktor may be a 12th century man, but his thinking was 21st century.

She turned the computer on and it sprang into life under her fingertips. She found the internet and did what she usually did – looked up the weather at home! Viktor had given her one website address and a name written beside it. After the typed in the address, she realised that the name was a password to enter the site.

It was a history and news website – but vampire history and news. She was fascinated and with the exception of one visit to the kitchen and two to the bathroom, she sat there, transfixed all day.

Her concentration was only broken as lips touched her neck. 'Hello Viktor. Nice sleep? Did your traitorous cat return to your side?' Viktor laughed at her words and bit her neck.

Beth jumped and was immediately apologetic for doing so. 'I'm sorry, it's not that I don't like that, I do, I really do, actually it's amazing and I'm waffling – but when you do it – it some how means something very different than when my old boyfriend did it!'

'Does it frighten you?'

'No.'

'Do you think I would really bite you without asking?'

'No.'

'Does the possibility of what it means arouse you Elisabeth?'

Beth found her tongue cleaving to the roof of her mouth making it impossible to speak. She nodded – only once.

There was a short silence between them then Viktor sat down in the chair at the side of the desk. 'The guests will arrive at around 8pm – just thought I would let you know so you can be ready.'

'I will leave you to your last bit of research. Have you found it interesting?'

'More than you could imagine! You have some interesting characters in your history!'

As Viktor started to walk back to the door, Beth commented very quietly 'But none as stimulating as you.' She felt Viktor's steps falter slightly and she knew he had heard her.

Yes, tonight was going to be one very interesting evening!

**********************************************************************

Beth took time to make sure she looked exactly how she wanted to for the evening.

The dress, as she imagined it would, fit her perfectly. Her bra peeped slightly over the neck line, but the dress would have been obscene without it. Her black boots were knee length with a kitten heel. She put on a minimal amount of make-up, she wasn't really a great fan of the stuff.

Once she had the coat on, she looked at herself in the full length mirror. She was quite impressed with what she saw. She had left her hair down, making sure she had given it a good brush to give it body and make it shine. Her red hair was a good contrast with the black clothing and both contrasted the green of her eyes.

'Knock 'em dead girl!' she said as she left her room.

**********************************************************************

Viktor was stood by the fire when Beth walked down the stairs.

'Now this is the kind of dress you should have on when you walk down these stairs!' she thought.

Viktor walked to meet her as she reached the bottom stair. She was nearly eye to eye with him.

'I knew the black would suit you best of all. You look beautiful in it.'

'Thank you. I'm not used to so much of me being outside of my dress!' she said jokingly as she looked down at her cleavage. 'So then, who are we expecting? Anyone who will give me a run for my money?'

'Michael and Oriel, they are married and they're ordinary types.'

'Apart from the fact they are vampires of course!!'

Viktor ignored Beth and carried on. 'Michael is an elder within the community and very well respected, but sometimes has a very high opinion of himself. James, Nikolas and Alesander. They have travelled from Russia. They have good conversation and a good sense of humour. Martha and her daughter Amber. We get on particularly well bearing in mind I killed her husband.'

'You what? How can you say that so calmly?'

'Her husband was a vicious, violent man. He turned their daughter when she was only sixteen. She has the body of a young sixteen year old and the sexuality of a 400 year old woman. His wife hated him for it and in return he raped her and their daughter.'

'Right. I hope you made him die in pain then?'

Viktor laughed. 'Our final guest is Annabella. She will hate you just for simply breathing and having blood pulse through your veins. She is an irritant at any gathering she is at.'

'So why invite her?'

'Her pathetic attempts at seduction are an amusement to me.'

'You're a git, you know that don't you?'

'That as maybe, but I don't want her and she refuses to believe it.'

'So you think you are so irresistible do you? With women swooning at your feet? You really are insufferable at times!'

'Maybe so, but you still think of me inside you don't you?'

Beth stood in silence wondering if she lived to be a hundred would the questions Viktor asked her still shock her.

'Answer me.'

'Yes.' Beth wasn't sure whether it was the heat of the fire making her warm or the heat of the fire Viktor ignited _in_ her. Whatever it was, Beth needed a breath of fresh air and headed for the door.

'Not outside Elisabeth, use the balcony in my room.'

Beth muttered under her breath. It was a real pain not just to be able to wander outside, but she wasn't in the mood to fight – she was saving her energies for dinner as it looked like she may well need it.

**********************************************************************

As the guests started to arrive, Beth realised that she could get a sneak preview of them from Viktor's balcony. She made sure the bedroom light was off in order that she could stay hidden.

They all arrived in large cars. They were obviously a monied people.

Annabella arrived last, surprisingly enough. She wore a tight floor length dress in vivid red, her hair was black and flowed down her back – Beth thought she looked quite pretty – for an old woman.

As Beth walked down the stairs she was met with the stares of the whole assembled group. She noticed that Annabella stood behind Viktor as he sat on one of the sofas, she was stroking the back of his neck and Viktor was holding her wrist. Very cosy indeed. Beth realised for some foolish reason that she was jealous.

Viktor stood up and held out his hand to her and introduced her to everyone. Annabella wasn't impressed by this and it didn't go unnoticed by either Beth or Viktor. She wondered if any of them were as old as Viktor.

Viktor indicated that they should all go into the dining room. She found herself seated away from Viktor. He sat at the head of the table and he had Michael on one side and Annabella on the other.

Beth was sat in between James and Martha and opposite Oriel. She was fascinated by the whole company. So far, they all seemed pleasant enough.

Michael was the first to speak to her, 'How come you are here Elisabeth? Forgive me if I sound rude, but Viktor very seldom welcomes guests.'

'I wasn't a guest. Viktor rescued me from what I thought was a dog. Turned out it wasn't a dog at all though was it?'

'I assume that you had no prior knowledge of anyone like us before you got here?'

'You don't exactly come up with any plausible proofs if you 'google' vampire. I assumed you were all fairytales, legends and the workings of the imagination of writers. Does that sound rude? My apologies if it does.'

James laughed and asked her 'Does it frighten you having us here?'

'Well as Viktor has assured me I am not on the wine list, then no, it doesn't.'

Everyone laughed, except Annabella. Martha touched her arm to get her attention, 'What do you do Elisabeth? You seem very confident and not at all phased by what you have seen.'

'I'm a doctor Martha. I have a PhD in Psychology, but I trained as a medical doctor primarily and then took psychology as my speciality. I don't practice as a doctor. I am a professor at Oxford University.'

For the first time, Annabella spoke, 'Really? Isn't that clever of you!'

'Yes it is, isn't it, and in one so _young_!'

Lucifer took this moment to jump on the table between Beth and James who said 'I see you still have your demon animal Viktor.'

Annabella touched Viktor's arm and spoke very sweetly, 'Have you met Lucifer? He will only allow Viktor to touch him, he won't even tolerate _us_.' The implication being he certainly wouldn't tolerate a mortal.

Beth reached out and touched Lucifer on the back of his head. He looked round at her, chirruped and walked towards her, sat right in front of her and rubbed his head several times under her chin and purred like a traction engine.

Michael was absolutely stunned, 'I would never have believed it – he hates everyone.'

Beth continued to stroke Lucifer's neck and he leaned against her and slid down to table level to make himself comfortable. He ended up half lying against her with all four paws in the air waiting for her to tickle his tummy.

'You obviously have an affinity with animals Elisabeth!' Michael continued.

Annabella snorted and said 'Not every beast can be tamed Elisabeth, sometimes they bite you!'

'Do they?' Beth said quietly as she looked Viktor in the eyes 'I've never met a beast I can't tame yet.'

She continued to stroke Lucifer, but she was aware that the guests around the table were quite enjoying the banter they could hear.

'I'm sorry Elisabeth,' said Annabella 'But I don't really think you understand us.' Again she put her hand on Viktor's arm. 'We are not like you. Our lifestyle is so different. Our reason for living is different and I am certain the circles in which we socialise are very different to, so you could be forgiven for your lack of knowledge!'

Beth thought that Annabella had finally shown her true colours. She continued stroking Lucifer and looked up at her. 'Do I understand you? I understand more than you think Annabella. I know your origins, I know about your wars, I know of your failings and the peace you live in now is at the cost of thousands of lives, a great deal of them used to have _real_ blood running through their veins. Which, for the record, isn't a problem for me – you were all once mortals and none of us can say that our history isn't full of bloody battles and wars won at the expense of another's life.'

'I know that this,' Beth took the sharp steak knife from the side of her plate, cut the tip of her index finger and squeezed it to make the blood run freely, 'Is the one thing in life everyone of you crave.' She put her finger slowly into her mouth and sucked the blood, wrapping the wound in her napkin as she removed her finger from her mouth. There was not one person in the room whose eyes were not totally focussed on her.

'And I know about you in particular Annabella. I know that your name is really just 'Bella' and that if we were living in the same century as mortals, we would never have moved in the same circles as you put it.'

Annabella nodded. 'Obviously!' she said with an air of smugness that made Beth want to slap her.

'By that I mean, I am a well educated, well respected, rich woman in a position of standing in society and you, after all, in your mortal life were a kitchen made and a whore.'

Viktor felt Annabella freeze sitting next to him. He could see that she was furious and more to the point, speechless. Annabella was never without a word to say. She jerked her chair backwards and stood up. 'Viktor are you going to let _her_ speak to me like this?'

Viktor stayed silent.

Beth gave Lucifer a stroke on his tummy and spoke 'Clearly he is.'

Annabella turned on her heels and stomped out of the dining room.

'Well, well, well.' Alesander spoke for the first time. 'Congratulations my dear. She may see you as only a mortal, but you are over and above her equal. Welcome to our circle of friends!' he gave her a very broad smile, as did every other person at the table.

Viktor watched Beth as she spoke with his guests. She was a formidable mortal. As an immortal she would be unstoppable. She had a natural air of confidence, but not arrogance.

She had begun to stir feelings in him that he had thought long since dead. Maybe his heart wasn't made completely of stone.

He was also very conscious that she was stirring feelings in him in other parts of his body than his heart.

Feelings he was very much looking forward to exploring further.

Tonight.

_**TBC**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Eight – The Point of No Return**

As Beth watched the last guest leave she realised how tired she was. She was sure they left earlier than they normally would have out of respect to her. That thought pleased her. It was important that Viktor's friends liked her.

As Viktor was saying his last prolonged goodbyes, she walked back into the hall and stood by the fire with her hands on the mantle piece. The fireplace was so large, her hands were resting straight out in front of her.

She stood there resting her body and her eyes. She never heard him coming and she only realised he was with her when he slid his hands around her waist and laid a gentle kiss on her neck.

'You are kissing me like a school boy Viktor.'

She could feel the atmosphere change the moments the words left her lips. He pulled her back against him and the gentle hands that had touched her waist now slid up her body and over her breasts. As he touched her she knew that he could feel her nipples hardening under her dress. His kiss was much rougher on her neck and she could feel his breathing becoming deeper behind her. His tongue felt like velvet on her skin.

Viktor slid his hand down to her waist and pulled her very closely against his body. His other hand he pushed into her hair and forced her head further to the left to give him greater access to her neck. She could feel his teeth raking against her skin. She felt no fear, she trusted him.

With the hand around her waist he pulled her around to face him and with in a millisecond his tongue was deep inside her mouth and any thoughts of being kissed by a school boy were banished for ever.

No-one had ever kissed Beth like Viktor did. She could feel her stomach jumping with the excitement of what she hoped would come next.

Her head was beginning to spin with the whole situation she was in. She didn't know whether it was because she had never met anyone like Viktor before, because she was now in a world that she only imagined had existed in the fantasy written by others or whether it was because she was beginning to realised how aroused Viktor was by her.

Ashe knew he had read her mind in the past, but was he reading it now she wondered?

'_Are you listening to my thoughts?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_How long have you been listening?'_

'_From the moment my tongue touched the skin of your neck.'_

'_Then you know what I want don't you?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_So what do I want Viktor?'_

'_You want me on you. And inside you. You want to make love until I make you whimper and scream. And come.'_

Beth realised that the simple sound of his voice made her want him. Strange how the person who can make you feel so alive is a person who is essentially dead.

A loud knock on the door broke the mood instantly and Beth heard herself actually whimper as Viktor let go of her and walked to the door.

She could hear a loud commotion and walked to she what was going on just as Viktor and two other men walked back into the hallway.

'I have to go Elisabeth. A coven that lives quite close to here has been attacked. You must stay inside the house and answer the door to no-one. Do you understand me?' Beth nodded.

Viktor strode off taking the stairs three at a time and she was left with their two visitors. It was one of those strange moments where both parties looked at each other and tried to weigh the other up.

Beth didn't see why she couldn't be direct and said 'Are you immortals then?'

Both men seemed taken aback to be confronted in this way, but they nodded.

'I assume you have names? Like to tell me who you are?' Beth was quite surprised by the power she spoke with. She had always been very sure of herself, but this was something else. She had obviously spent too much time with Viktor.

'My name is Lawrence,' said the shorter of the two, 'And this is Jonathon.'

'So why did you come for Viktor?' Both men seemed surprised to hear her say Viktor's name.

Lawrence spoke 'We came for our Lord because we know he is the only one who can help us.'

'Do I take it that Viktor is important to you. A powerful immortal?'

This time Jonathon spoke 'Our Lord is not just a powerful vampire, he is **the** most powerful vampire, there in none greater than him. He has survived death on more than one occasion. That scar on his forehead? The injury it came from would have killed any other vampire, but not him, never him. Our pledge of servitude to him is not out of fear, but out of respect.'

'Gentlemen, nice though this chatter is, we should leave. Now. Remember what I've said Elisabeth, do not leave this house tonight under any circumstances.'

Beth saw that Viktor had changed his clothes. What he wore now she assumed was a form of battle dress. His sword was at his side and the long boots and leather gloves she had seen on the first evening she had met him were back in place.

As Viktor walked past her he stopped and stroked her cheek. 'We have unfinished business you and I, don't think I will forget about it either.' With that he was gone.

Beth wandered up to his room and decided she would sit out on the balcony. She walked outside and was met with the chill of the night air, but more than that, she was met by an atmosphere she hadn't felt before. She realised that she didn't feel safe out there in the dark without Viktor. She went back inside making sure that she locked the French windows behind her. She felt comforted that she knew all the other doors were locked in the house.

She took off her coat and dress and climbed into Viktor's massive bed. It smelled of him and she felt comforted lying in the bed she knew Viktor had occupied during that day.

**********************************************************************

She woke up to the sound of a door slamming downstairs and for one moment felt utter fear. The room was pitch black and she felt disorientated for her first few waking moments.

She heard footsteps on the stairs and realised that it was Viktor taking the stairs three at a time as he usually did.

She wondered for one moment whether he would be upset to find her in his bed. The bedroom door flew open and Viktor strode into the room.

What met her eyes made her shudder. He had taken off various items of clothing as he had run up the stairs and Beth could clearly see blood on his neck and his chest.

'Oh my God – you are really hurt!' She scrambled out of bed and ran towards him.

'No Elisabeth, I'm not. These are all flesh wounds and they will heal _very _quickly.'

She reached out to touch the scar on his forehead. 'This one didn't, did it?'

'Ah, but that one is different. All these are superficial and will be healed in hours, see the one on my chest here has stopped bleeding already.' Beth looked at Viktor's chest and traced the line of the wound with her forefinger. 'The wound on my forehead was supposed to be fatal. Those types of scars take time to heal.'

'I get the impression that you are more than I think you are. Is that right?'

'Yes.'

'Are you more than _they_ think you are?'

'Yes.'

Viktor walked towards the bathroom and left Beth standing in the middle of the room. She heard the shower start, but Viktor never closed the bathroom door.

Beth walked over to the bathroom after a moment to find Viktor climbing out of the shower oblivious to the fact she was standing in the doorway. What Beth saw took her breath away. She knew Viktor was an immortal, but he had lived a life as normal before Markus had turned him. Beth felt no shame, fear or embarrassment as she watched Viktor dry himself on a towel.

For a man who was obviously in his fifties when he started his 'new life' his body was in perfect condition. He had his back to her so she could see the muscle tone in his legs and back and buttocks without him knowing she was there. He had the kind of body that all the men she had gone out with in the past would have dreamed of.

Just as she began daydreaming about how his naked body would feel against hers, he turned around with the towel still held in his hand covering his groin.

His icy blue stare met hers and he stood and looked at her for several seconds. The he dropped the towel and she found it very hard not to look at the parts the towel had been covering. He was equally as toned in _every_ area of his body. She realised that the quip she had made on the first night she had met him about the size of his sword compensating for something else was so very far from the truth.

'I can hear your thoughts Elisabeth.'

Beth closed her eyes slightly and felt her self blush.

Viktor walked straight over to her and pushed her against the bathroom wall and his mouth was immediately on her and his tongue was again deep inside her mouth. She found herself kissing him back with a passion that she never knew she possessed.

As she felt his hands touching her body she could also feel the hardness of his erection pushing between her legs. The sensations this was evoking in her body made her catch her breath.

Viktor stopped kissing her for one moment and looked her in the eyes.

'Yes?' was all he said. Beth nodded.

Viktor slid his hands underneath Beth and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. He sat her on the bed and sat down beside her.

'Are you sure? Because once I have you, I won't ever let you go again. This will change everything Elisabeth. I won't turn you until you ask me, but once I have taken you, you will be joined with me into eternity.'

Beth said nothing, but she put her hand up to his face and leaned forward to kiss his mouth. This was all the encouragement Viktor needed and he pushed her over the bed so she was lying on her back. He moved up the bed so he was lying next to her.

He started to caress her with his hands, starting at her face. He stroked her nose and her cheeks and her lips. His hand moved down to her neck and further down to touch her breasts through her bra.

'Sit up,' was all he said. As she did so he removed her bra and slid his hands down to remove her knickers. When she was naked, she lay back down. He put his hands back where he had stopped and stroked her naked breasts. Beth couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Just as she closed her eyes Viktor placed his mouth over one of her nipples and kissed her very gently. She let out a moan and he then took the whole of her nipple in his mouth and suckled her. He wasn't so gentle any longer. Beth thought she was going to go insane with the intensity of how Viktor made her feel.

With one hand he stroked her other breast, with the other one he stroked her stomach while his lips and tongue stayed on her breast.

She found herself voicing a small 'no' as she felt him release her nipple from his mouth and move his hand from her other breast. He slid one hand under her neck and started to kiss her deeply on the mouth. Beth placed one hand on his back feeling hard muscles underneath her fingertips and her other hand she dug into his hair.

Viktor slid the hand on her stomach further and further down until his fingers were millimetres away from touching her clitoris. Beth felt his fingers slide over her and her world seemed to stop turning. His fingers gave one initial gentle touch and then they became more urgent and more powerful stroking her until she started to squirm on the bed.

For a short moment he removed his fingers and moved to part her legs. Beth felt like she had stopped breathing.

'Not yet Elisabeth.'

Viktor returned to his caresses and this time his fingers slid further down between her legs. He stopped for one second and looked Beth in he eyes. She looked straight back at him. He slowly slid one finger inside her and she groaned. He continued to slide his index finger in and out of her whilst pushing his thumb continuously over her clitoris. Beth thought for one moment she was going to scream.

Viktor stopped kissing her and said one word 'More?' Beth nodded.

Viktor removed his one finger and replaced it with two and then three increasing the pressure inside her at the same time as increasing the pressure on her clitoris.

Beth was finding it increasingly hard to stay on the bed. She wanted more of Viktor now, right now.

'No, I want you inside of me!'

'No, not yet, I'm not ready. You're not ready.' He continued to stroke and caress and manipulate her until she could feel her orgasm building in her body.

Just at the point she thought she was going to climax, Viktor removed his fingers, but kept his mouth firmly fixed on hers. Beth was breathless and panting into his mouth.

Viktor moved across her body and she felt him push her legs apart with his knees. She could feel his hard erection between her legs. He put his arms on both sides of her, but kept hold of her head. 'Open your eyes Elisabeth. I want to see your eyes turn black when I enter you.'

Beth did as she was told and opened her eyes. She stared into those beautiful icy blue eyes and felt that she was in the most perfect place she had ever been as Viktor slid inside her. He wasn't gentle. He was powerful and forceful and she felt like she was his now. She was.

Viktor was very still for what seemed like an eternity and Beth held his gaze as he lay above her. She felt like she never wanted to move from this spot. Viktor moved his hips and she could feel him slide out of her and then back into her. And still he held her gaze. He continued to move slowly and never once took his eyes off Beth. As he continued to move inside her, she could feel the passion building up inside her. He sensed what she was feeling and moved more quickly causing Beth to catch her breath.

Beth was beginning to struggle to keep her eyes on Viktor's. She could hear his breathing becoming more laboured and she knew this was having an effect on him too.

Suddenly Viktor's movements changed, his body moved more quickly and became infinitely less gentle. This change aroused Beth even more and she couldn't stop herself from groaning aloud. Several times.

She gave up trying to keep her eyes open and closed them as her body began to shake and convulse with the feelings Viktor was evoking in her.

Just as she thought she had reached the delicious end Viktor spoke to her 'Open your eyes Beth.' She struggled to open them, but as she did Viktor made her come with more feeling and passion than any man had ever done before. She had never realised the power it held when you watched someone else come at the same time you did.

Viktor continued to lie on top of Beth and both of them were breathing heavily. She found it exquisite that he was still inside her – no-one she had ever met did this.

Viktor spoke 'You know this is forever don't you?'

'Well, it can be for my forever, but not for yours can it?'

'Yes it can Beth, that's the next decision you have to make.'

_**TBC**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Nine – Eternity**

Beth woke up to a dark room and an empty bed. She figured it was about three thirty in the morning. The moonlight was streaming through the long windows and it gave the room an altogether eerie feeling. The room was full of long dark shadows.

As Beth climbed out of bed she realised how sore her body was. She ached in places she never knew she had places! She knew some of it will have been with the horse riding (why does it always hit you the day after the day after?), but she knew that most of it was from having Viktor make love to her in the last few hours.

Her idea of a 'bit of rough and tumble' had never been anything like it had been with her and Viktor. She had always been a woman who had really wanted to be treated gently and softly. How Viktor made her feel, what he made her want and what he made her want _him _to _her_ shocked her. She had know this man, what, 3 days? She couldn't believe what changes were happening to her. She had just slept with a man over a thousand years old and it was the most powerful sexual experience she had ever had!

He'd murdered people for gain and for food and she couldn't believe that this didn't bother her? There was something about him….. Her sanity told her not to do this, but her body and her heart were telling her otherwise. She was a fantastic judge of character – that's how she made her living – she couldn't believe that she could be so wrong about Viktor. What was the difference, apart from the obvious, with him?

She pondered this question in her head as she walked across the room. She picked Viktor's robe from the back of a chair and covered her naked body. The robe was far too long and big for her. It dragged on the floor about twelve inches and could have wrapped around her twice. But it was soft and lovely on her skin and she could smell Viktor on the material.

She wandered out onto the balcony and as she did so, she realised she knew the answer to her question. The reason if was different with Viktor was that she trusted him.

'I'm pleased to hear that Beth.' Viktor was sitting in one of the chairs behind her, but he got up as he spoke to her.

She continued to stand with her back to him with her hands on the balcony wall. Viktor walked up behind her and placed his hands on either side of her and pressed his body against her. Beth could feel her heart beating faster at just the feel of him so near. Intoxicated. That's how she felt, that explained her feelings perfectly. He rested his chin on her shoulder and looked out at the view.

'It's this very view that made me want to buy this place.'

'Why do you live on your own Viktor? From talking to everyone last night it seems they all live with groups of other people. Don't you miss the company of your own kind?'

'Things have been difficult these last few years Beth. I have done some things I am not really that proud of.'

'So what?! Those two blokes last night came to _you_ for help, no-one else. They still see you as their master and the one they turn to, to make everything good when anything goes wrong. The amount of respect they have for you is massive – you need to understand that even if your opinion of you has changed – for others you are still a large factor in their lives.'

'I know, it seems that they still see me as their Elder and Leader even though that isn't how I have acted recently. You sound like the psychologist _Elisabeth_.'

Beth smiled as she realised that Viktor had actually stopped calling her 'Elisabeth' just to annoy her. 'Viktor, do any of them know that you have "changed"?'

'They must have some understanding that things are not as they were. The injuries I sustained would have killed any other vampire that has ever existed, so they must realise something is not the same.'

'How have you changed? What else is there that I don't know? You can see into my mind and speak to me without actually speaking to me. What else is there – because I know there is something.'

'Power. Simply that. Power over things I have never had power over before. I have always been strong, but this power is different. Your car, it stopped working. I have no idea what was wrong with it, but I had to get you and it back here. I wanted it to work and it did.'

'Does that power extend to people?' Beth asked not really sure what she was asking.

'Do you mean can I make someone do something against their will? Or do you mean could I harm someone just by thinking about it?'

Beth wasn't quite sure what to say.

'Or do you mean could I force my sexual advances on someone by making them think that they were agreeable to the circumstances?'

This was the one thing that Beth hadn't thought about. She never for one moment thought that Viktor would harm her or force her to do something that she didn't want to.

'You're listening to my thoughts aren't you?'

'_Yes_,' was the reply she heard, but she knew Viktor's lips never moved.

'You know that kind of freaks me out – I never know whether you are in my head or not!'

Viktor looked at Beth, 'But I think you _are_ beginning to know when I touch your mind are you not? You can feel my presence in your head just the same as you are beginning to feel my presence in a room without even seeing me. Am I right Beth?'

Beth sat and looked at Viktor for the longest of times. He was right. When it wasn't his body she could feel near her, it was his _power_. When he was around her it was like he was inside her, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense. Before she met Viktor even thinking about someone being so close to her would have scared her to death. Again she thought how strange it was that she had know Viktor such a short time and she was now in a relationship with him that was more intimate than any relationship she had ever been in.

'You never answered my first questions Viktor.'

'To be totally honest, I have no idea how far this power extends. Last night, in that small coven, I realised that I can move faster than I have before, my strength is greater than it has ever been. When my horse stumbled and fell taking me with her I lost my sword. As I stood up one of the lycans came for me. I needed my sword and in an instant, it was in my hand.'

'Oooh, that's very "Harry Potter"! You do know who Harry Potter is, don't you?'

'Beth, I may have been born in the Dark Ages, but don't you think I have learned a thing or two over the years? Apart from seeing vampires in a rather grim light, I thought it was quite amusing really. In a "mortals don't really get it do they" kind of way. Selene did me a favour harming me the way she did.'

Beth found it hard to imagine Viktor reading a fictional novel, but she supposed that there was still a great deal about this man that she had yet to know. She found herself wondering what he was like before Marcus turned him? He was a warlord, so he must have been powerful.

Beth could see the sky getting lighter at the horizon. 'Dawn is coming Viktor, we can't be out here for much longer. Can I ask you a question?'

'Ask.'

'I feel like you really know me? How can you? You could read my mind, but I would have to be thinking about me all of the time and I don't really. Is that something else that you have acquired in your changing state?'

Viktor gave the smallest of laughs and pulled her back to sit on the chairs behind them. She sat opposite him and as he put his hands on the arms of the chair, he put his leg on her chair seat between her knees. The smallest things he did sometimes had the biggest affect on her.

'It's called "blood knowledge". To taste another's blood endows you with their memories.'

'But you've never bitten me. How can you know me?'

Viktor leaned forward and took her right hand in his and held her palm to his lips and kissed it.

'When I first met you! I remember you put my hand to your mouth just before I passed out! You tasted my blood.' Beth pulled her hand away from Viktor. 'Wasn't that rude? To know that you would know all about me without even asking me first!' Beth could feel anger rising within her.

'Beth, I didn't know you, you could have been anyone. I did it instinctively because you were bleeding. Not to feed from you so stop rolling your eyes! When you cut your finger, you put it in your mouth don't you? You did last night at dinner. That was part of it. And the other part was I wanted to know exactly what you were doing on my land in the middle of the night by yourself.'

'So how much do you know about me?'

'Everything.'

'What do you mean everything?'

'I know how you felt when you first went to school. I know about the project you did when you were 10 that you were so proud of. I know how old you were when you were first kissed. I know about the day you thought you were dying because you started bleeding, when in reality your were turning into a woman, I know where you were when you lost your virginity and what a disappointment it was to you. I know about your mother, your work, your friends and the last time you made love before you came to me.'

'Oh.' Was about all Beth could muster. She wasn't sure how you follow a disclosure like that. He knew all about her past and her present was an open book when he looked into her mind. Talk about an 'open' relationship, well, for him anyway.

Beth looked up and found Viktor staring at her. 'Does it bother you that I know so much about you?'

Beth didn't speak, she just shook her head slowly.

Viktor allowed the smallest of smiles to touch his lips, 'Does the power I have excite you?'

Beth again didn't speak, she just nodded her head. Silently in her head she muttered the words 'All of the time.' And she knew that Viktor was listening.

'Beth, I need to sleep. And I think that you may need some time to think about everything without having me around you.'

Beth moved to go back into Viktor's bedroom. She was half way across the room when she realised that Viktor wasn't behind her. Assuming he also needed some time to think she made her way back to her room.

Viktor stood on the balcony as the sun started to peep over the horizon. He walked towards the French doors just as the sun came up. He found himself coming to a standstill as he got to the doors. For one moment, he could feel the heat of the morning sun on the back of his neck. Something he had not felt in over a millennia. He walked into his bedroom and put his hand up to the skin on the back of his neck where the sun had touched. It felt as soft and healthy as it had done before the sun touched him.

'Thank you again Selene.'

**********************************************************************

Beth didn't see Viktor again until that evening. She spent the day wandering in the gardens and in the library.

As she wandered around she thought of the words Viktor had said to her the night before.

_Viktor spoke 'You know this is forever don't you?'_

'_Well, it can be for my forever, but not for yours can it?'_

'_Yes it can Beth, that's the next decision you have to make.'_

The next decision she has to make…how do you weigh up the pros and cons of becoming an immortal? She realised that it would mean she would have to give up everything belonging to her mortal world. Would that be so bad? She had a good job – but it didn't satisfy her like it used to. She spent all day teaching students whose only interest was getting their degree, getting a job and earning pots of money. They didn't really care about anything she taught them. What about friends? Would she miss them? Over the last few years she seemed to have spent less hours with her friends and more hours at work. Didn't it say something that they were all away on holiday this summer in various exotic places and she was away on her own?

If her mum had still been alive, that would be different. But she wasn't. Beth missed that close relationship they had. When she had died Beth felt that she had lost her soul mate.

Soul mate. Maybe that is what Viktor was becoming. Her soul mate. The person she could spend eternity with. Normally thinking like this would have scared her witless. But not this time. She knew that if she did decide to allow Viktor to turn her that her future would be spent with him. No doubts. No fears. No arguments.

The decision was made.

_**TBC**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Dark Lovers**

Yeah, yeah - Viktor doesn't really belong to me (I wish)...

**Chapter Ten – Reality**

Just as the sun was disappearing beyond the horizon, Beth walked into Viktor's room. She wanted to watch him wake up into his night time world. Viktor was lying flat on his back with one arm stretched out and the other wrapped around Lucifer as he lay at his side. The sheet that covered him was very low across his hips – she could see his hips bones and a touch of the blond hair that was at his groin. She could felt herself shiver with desire and wondered if there was anything about this man that didn't arouse her.

As she heard the words '_I hope not_' she realised that Viktor was awake.

'Come here Beth.'

Beth walked over to the bed and stood beside it. 'If you want me then you have to get out of bed to get me.'

Beth's eyes widened as Viktor pulled back the sheet and climbed off the bed in an instant and had her pinned against the wall with his tongue inside her mouth and one of his legs between hers before she even realised he had moved.

She would never get used to his power. She never wanted to.

As he continued to kiss her she could feel her legs loosing their sturdiness and her head begin to spin.

'I forget sometimes – I don't need to breathe – but you do.' A comment like this would have freaked Beth out a week ago. Now it was nothing. She was kissing an immortal, she had a member of the undead make her feel more alive than she had ever felt in her entire life.

'I need to eat Beth.' Viktor started to pull away and she held on to his arm.

'Viktor, me. Feed from me. I have made my decision. I want to be with you forever, I want to be like you.'

'I will not use you as a food source! What do you think I am?' Beth could feel that Viktor was angry.

'I'm sorry – I didn't intend to offend you. I want to give you everything, I want to be everything to you.'

Viktor held Beth's face in both his hands as he spoke, 'I know Beth, but you must understand I can't just use you when I have perfectly adequate food downstairs. In the past I would have jumped at the chance. I am not that man anymore. You deserve more from me than that. You understand don't you?'

Beth nodded 'Kiss me again Viktor…' A wry smile passed over Viktor's lips and he bent his head to kiss her. He was so very gentle and for this moment in time, it was the most perfect action. The kiss lasted for an age and Beth felt like he could keep on kissing her into eternity.

As he released her he said 'We need to talk tonight. Really talk. There are some things you need to understand. And some things you are going to need to do before you finally make your choice. The decision to turn you can't be taken lightly by either of us.'

As Beth looked at those beautiful blue eyes, she realised how serious Viktor was and she somehow got the idea that she wasn't going to like all of what she was going to hear.

**********************************************************************

One of the things she loved lost about this house was that it was always cold at night, which gave a great excuse to light the fires in each of the rooms.

As she came into the dining room, Viktor was sitting on one of the sofas in semi darkness with his legs stretched out on the coffee table , his 'drink' in his hand and one elbow propped up on the sofa arm. Beth watched him as he stared into the fire and wondered what he was thinking. Would she like the ability he had, to read another's thoughts? She stood there for a moment and decided that she didn't really want to know what was going on in another person's head. Besides, it would take all the fun out of everything she had learnt over the last twenty years. She enjoyed discovering things about people – it's who she was.

'And are you ready to give all of that up? Do you think you could live as an immortal in the world you are used to inhabiting? All these things you have to weigh up Beth. Because once you come over to the 'dark side' – there is no way to return if you change your mind.'

'I'm curious Viktor. Why did you never marry again? Why did you not have anymore children?'

Viktor uncrossed his legs and stood up to look at her, 'We should eat Beth, you must be hungry by now.'

As they sat down at the table Viktor looked at Beth without picking up a knife or a fork. 'I never married because I never found anyone I want to spend eternity with and I have no other children because I have never felt that I wanted to put myself in the position of having to feel the betrayal I have in the past.'

'It was a thousand years ago Viktor, surely you must have healed a little since then!' As soon as the words left Beth's mouth she regretted it, she could see the softer side of Victor change to the harder side she had first met. He never said anything, he just sat and stared at her without moving a muscle.

'You have a lot to learn Beth. About me. About everything.'

'I am well aware of the fact that I don't know everything, but I was hoping that you may be my teacher. I'm sorry I touched a nerve, but in your position, when you live forever, you can't keep dwelling in the past! It's not like you only live for three score years and ten, in two thousand years you will probably still be here – you need to enjoy that life or it will just be a waste.'

The silence between them was deafening and Beth was at a loss as to what to say now. She was very aware that Viktor was probably listening to her thinking which made her very nervous of thinking anything. Maybe she should think about those disgusting knickers her mother used to make her wear for games at school, she was convinced that if she had tried hard enough she could have got them to stretch to just under her chin! She wasn't sure Viktor would find her particularly attractive in those! She wondered if she could have got both of them in the underwear – now that would make wearing big knickers worth it!

She looked up as she heard Viktor snort into his drink and she saw the smile on his lips and in his eyes.

'You're insane, you know that don't you?'

'Oh yes. But the most sane thing I have ever done is make the decision that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' She felt Viktor's eyes fall on her again and she lifted her chin and said 'I need to ask you some questions really don't I?' Viktor nodded slowly, just the once.

'Am I right in believing that I will always look as young as I do the day you turn me?'

Viktor nodded.

'Does that just mean on the outside or the inside too?'

Viktor frowned, 'I'm not sure I know what you mean Beth.'

'OK – for as long as I am alive, if my body looks young will it really be that way?'

'If you mean can I continually get you pregnant, then yes, I could.'

'Right. Guess it means the clock goes into suspended animation….oh, hell, that means I'll have periods and PMT forever! Bloody hell!'

'Yes, there never is any let up for an immortal with a young wife!'

'What about the children Viktor – what are they born like?'

'Well, they are not born as immortals. There are different schools with regards to what happens to them. Some families let their child decide when they are turned and who turns them. Others decide for the child and they themselves turn them when they feel they are ready. Very few will choose to turn a young child – they will always be young, old and wise maybe, but always young. If you turn a child of 12, she maybe able to procreate, but even the worst of us would draw the line at impregnating a young girl. But in twenty years time – she will still have the body of a child and the mind, intellect and sexuality of a much older woman. Things are never that easy.'

'Who turned Sonia?'

'I did of course. It was her decision of where and when. But she was my responsibility and therefore I should have been the one to make her an immortal.'

'How do you cope with all of the changes in the world? You must have seen so many things change?'

'You learn to embrace it and look forward to what is next. You learn to cope with the inhumanity of the human race…'

'How about friends? Have you ever had a mortal as a friend? How do you cope with them dying Viktor?'

Viktor looked at Beth, 'I have had human friends. A long time ago. I may not have a heart that beats inside my breast, but I do have feelings for other people. We tend not to mix outside of our kind Beth. It is just easier.'

Beth sighed and looked straight ahead. 'I just have so many questions, I just don't know where to start!'

'And that's why you need to go home.' Viktor put his hand up as he saw Beth start to protest. 'I can't give you the answers Beth, you know what you are choosing and it is for you, and you alone to make that decision. You can't make it here with me – your judgement will be clouded. You need to go back to where you came from and spend some time there and then make your decision.'

Beth glared at Viktor, 'You're sending me away!'

'Yes I am. And if you have any hope of coming back, you will see that this is the only way that you can be clear about what you will be giving up. You will gain a massive amount, but you will also loose everything you have had in your life up to this point. And you do realise that you will not be like me do you not? I am different Beth, to any other immortal. It's not something I can share with you if I turn you. You will always be aware of my presence, but you will never know what I am thinking, whilst I can always know what goes on inside your head and if I choose to see what's going on in your head – you will never be able to stop me. The power developing in me is not something I can share.'

Beth sighed and rubbed her eyebrows, now weary of the conversation, it hadn't gone quite like she imagined it would. She thought it would go along the lines of 'have me, bite me', and that would be the end of it.

'You know it would never be that easy Beth. A few hundred years ago I would have taken you in every sense of the word the first night you were here. But things are different now, people are different now. _I _am different now.'

'I'm not really that hungry now Viktor, can we just stick all this stuff in the kitchen for Ella for tomorrow?'

Beth and Viktor moved all the plates and food back to the kitchen. Beth put the last of the plates by the sink and turned round to find Viktor standing staring at her.

'What? What's up now?'

He slowly walked towards her and she found herself backing up across the kitchen feeling somewhat confused. Her confusion became understanding as she found herself hitting the kitchen table with the back of her legs as Viktor looked over her shoulder and said 'no, the sugar bowl isn't on the table.'

Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen.

Viktor stood right in front of her but instead of kissing her like she imagined he would do, he slid his hands down the side of her face, across her shoulders and over her breasts. His hands stopped when they got to the waistband of her jeans. He popped the button and pulled the zip down at the same time he slid his hands inside and between her legs. Beth took a large intake of breath and tried not to moan too loudly. Viktor never took his eyes off hers. She found it near impossible to keep her eyes open as his fingers stroked her flesh.

'Keep your eyes open or I will stop Beth.'

She had to grip the sides of the table to stop herself from falling over. And then Viktor just stopped.

Before she knew what was happening, she was sitting on the table, her trousers and her underwear were gone and Viktor was completely inside her. And still he hadn't taken his eyes off hers.

He started to move inside her at a startlingly quick pace.

'Keep your eyes open or _I will stop,_ Beth.'

She could feel the orgasm building up inside her body and she knew that very soon she would start to scream.

Just when she thought she had got to the point where she could bear it no longer, Viktor moved his left hand and slid it between them and as he continued to move in and out of her, started to massage her clitoris with his fingers….and Beth started to scream.

'Your eyes Beth.' Beth had never in her entire life felt what Viktor was doing to her body and as she came she felt like she was falling off a very high cliff and flying, but not down, flying higher and higher and higher….

As her body began to shake, she could feel Viktor climaxing at the same time. Eyes still locked onto each others. And then they stood still, Viktor was still inside her and he leaned forward to kiss her for the first time that night.

'Are you trying to make my decision harder or easier Viktor?'

'I'm trying to make sure you have all of the facts on which to base your decision of course.'

'Do I still have to go home?'

'Yes.'

'When?'

'Tomorrow.'

_**TBC**_


End file.
